I have had the opportunity to help facilitate a few labs in my middle school placement. We did a brine shrimp/salinity activity, a brine shrimp microscope activity, and an elodea cell microscope activity. For the first two activities, my CT and I passed out materials and started the class in whole group instruction so we could model how to make the slides, what to write/draw on their paper, etc. For the third activity, my CT thought it would be a good idea to give each student a role within their group. That way, they would have more responsibility in the classroom and she would give up some of her control. Students have assigned seats in the classroom, and the roles were also assigned to play to the strengths of the students. For example, if she has a student who has trouble sitting still, she assigned him Materials Manager so he has the opportunity to get out of his seat in a more constructive manner. The roles she assigned include Teacher’s Assistant, Materials Manager, Reporter, and Principle Investigator. My CT opens the lab by using a document cam to show the students how they should set up the page in their science notebook, and draw circles for drawing their fields of view. As soon as she tells students they will have the opportunity to use the microscopes, they get really excited and interested in what we’re doing for the day. My teacher lets them know what is expected of them at the start of class as part of whole group instruction so she can answer any questions for the whole class, so she does not have to repeatedly answer them for each individual group. Then, while the students are working both her and I walk around and facilitate group work, helping students make their slides and get them in focus.
The NGSS science and engineering practices is all about scaffolding learning so students can take charge and be responsible for themselves. It is about providing the materials for real learning and discovery to take place. In showing students things like living brine shrimp or plant cells, students always have a moment of wonder and discovery. Now that they know how to use a microscope, more discovery can take place because they have the core skills needed to be successful. A NGSS inspired way to proceed would be to pose a problem that students need to solve, like how to measure something under the microscope, or how to identify something really small (they could distinguish between plant/animal cells, describe it, draw it, etc.). Safety and working effectively independently and as part of a team are skills I hope to support in my classroom. When I am a teacher I hope to stress learning core skills but then backing off and giving my students the opportunity to explore the usefulness of the skills on their own. I think a huge part of science is discovery, so if I can build a respectful classroom culture where students feel comfortable stretching their thinking, speaking up in class, and making meaningful connections, I am doing my job correctly. I hope to bring creative lessons to my classroom, try to incorporate student interest, and focus on student-centered learning.
I have had the opportunity to help facilitate a few labs in my middle school placement. We did a brine shrimp/salinity activity, a brine shrimp microscope activity, and an elodea cell microscope activity. For the first two activities, my CT and I passed out materials and started the class in whole group instruction so we could model how to make the slides, what to write/draw on their paper, etc. For the third activity, my CT thought it would be a good idea to give each student a role within their group. That way, they would have more responsibility in the classroom and she would give up some of her control. Students have assigned seats in the classroom, and the roles were also assigned to play to the strengths of the students. For example, if she has a student who has trouble sitting still, she assigned him Materials Manager so he has the opportunity to get out of his seat in a more constructive manner. The roles she assigned include Teacher’s Assistant, Materials Manager, Reporter, and Principle Investigator. My CT opens the lab by using a document cam to show the students how they should set up the page in their science notebook, and draw circles for drawing their fields of view. As soon as she tells students they will have the opportunity to use the microscopes, they get really excited and interested in what we’re doing for the day. My teacher lets them know what is expected of them at the start of class as part of whole group instruction so she can answer any questions for the whole class, so she does not have to repeatedly answer them for each individual group. Then, while the students are working both her and I walk around and facilitate group work, helping students make their slides and get them in focus.
The NGSS science and engineering practices is all about scaffolding learning so students can take charge and be responsible for themselves. It is about providing the materials for real learning and discovery to take place. In showing students things like living brine shrimp or plant cells, students always have a moment of wonder and discovery. Now that they know how to use a microscope, more discovery can take place because they have the core skills needed to be successful. A NGSS inspired way to proceed would be to pose a problem that students need to solve, like how to measure something under the microscope, or how to identify something really small (they could distinguish between plant/animal cells, describe it, draw it, etc.). Safety and working effectively independently and as part of a team are skills I hope to support in my classroom. When I am a teacher I hope to stress learning core skills but then backing off and giving my students the opportunity to explore the usefulness of the skills on their own. I think a huge part of science is discovery, so if I can build a respectful classroom culture where students feel comfortable stretching their thinking, speaking up in class, and making meaningful connections, I am doing my job correctly. I hope to bring creative lessons to my classroom, try to incorporate student interest, and focus on student-centered learning.